Hackaball Details

Hackaball is a “computer you can throw” that allows children to program their own games.

Computer-related employment is expected to rise by 22% by 2020. This year, England became the first country to make computer programming a compulsory school subject, and in the U.S., organizations are lobbying for programming to be available to students in every school.

Our objective was to design a device that would encourage even the youngest children to learn necessary skills that will better prepare them for an ever-more tech-focused world.

Hackaball is a smart and responsive smartphone-connected gadget designed to teach 6-10 year olds the principles of coding through fun, physical and mental play. The ball is paired with an iOS application that lets children create their own games and program them onto the device as well as play the classics. Sensors inside the sturdy Hackaball encourage kids to experiment with sound, light, vibration and movement. The potential for creating games is as limitless as a child’s imagination.

We launched the Hackaball funding campaign on Kickstarter this spring with a goal of raising $100,000 for product development. Hackaball quickly caught the attention and captured the imagination of the public, and we met our objective in 17 days. As a result, we doubled our goal, and made that, too: Within one month, we raised $241,122. The first Hackaballs will be shipped in time for the 2015 holiday season for $85.00.

Why this project is worthy of a UX Award:

In an age that values makers, digital innovation and always-on connectivity, Hackaball is an engaging and innovative tool that will educate children while encouraging physical activity and creativity. Ultimately, our vision is to turn Hackaball into a platform of games invented, programmed and published by children.

By funding our Kickstarter campaign so quickly and more than doubling our original goal, the public has "voted up" Hackaball, and this enthusiasm bodes well for its retail success. As coding becomes an essential part of education, the Hackaball gadget/tool supports the democratization of digital technology and inspires this emerging, more-diverse generation to create its own digital products.